SAN DIEGO — The Rockies want to see what veteran Roy Oswalt has left. To that end, the 36-year-old right-hander will pitch in a middle relief role in Sunday’s game against the Padres. He will enter the game behind starter Chad Bettis.

“I’m up to about 70, 75 pitches, but I’d like to get that stretched out. But I’m feeling good now. I’m eager to get out there,” said Oswalt, who came off the disabled list Friday.

Oswalt has been inactive since injuring his left hamstring July 7 at Arizona.

“We’re trying to build Roy back up to make a few starts before the end of the season,” manager Walt Weiss said. “I’d like to get a good look at him before the end of the season. We feel like he could help us. He’s missed a lot of time, but we still like him enough to watch him pitch the rest of the year.”

Oswalt struggled in his four previous starts, going 0-4 with a 7.64 ERA. He pitched 5 ⅔ scoreless innings in a Tuesday rehab start for the Rockies’ rookie team in Grand Junction, scattering three hits, walking one and striking out two.

Arenado sits. Rookie third baseman Nolan Arenado, making a bid for a Gold Glove, was not in the starting lineup Friday, held out because of a bruised thumb.

“Nolan always wants to play. He loves playing, but I think it’s best to give him one more day,” Weiss said.

The right thumb flared up in the Rockies’ 7-5 win over the Dodgers on Wednesday, forcing Arenado out of the game after the top of the fourth inning. Arenado jammed the thumb on an inside fastball in a third-inning at-bat, but he’s been dealing with a sore thumb for about three weeks.

Footnotes. Carlos Gonzalez, who’s become a late-inning defensive specialist as he waits for the sprained middle finger of his right hand to calm down, was not in the starting lineup again and he did not take batting practice. He won’t start again until he takes batting practice without the finger flaring up. … Left-hander Drew Pomeranz (left biceps tendinitis) came off the DL, but he’s not ready to pitch. “I feel a lot better and the pain is gone,” he said. “I want to pitch again this season. We’ll see.”

Looking ahead: Colorado at San Diego

Tyler Chatwood said he was a quick healer. He wasn’t kidding. When he was drilled in the right thumb by a line drive during the second inning of last Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds, manager Walt Weiss figured there was no way Chatwood would make his next scheduled start. But Chatwood will be on the mound Saturday against the San Diego Padres. The slider has become Chatwood’s out pitch, particularly with runners on base. He often uses the sharp-breaking pitch to induce groundball outs, something he’s done very effectively this season. He’s gotten batters to ground into 15 double plays this season, the most among National League pitchers with fewer than 100 innings.

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